Don’t bother explaining how and why you do anything. If Seth Godin doesn’t give out formulas, neither should you.

Bonus tip! If you’re aiming at a B2B market, make people feel at home by using the same bureaucratic jargon they use. Here is an example of an ideal Mission Statement for a B2B Blog:

“We implement social media strategies such as on-site and off-site SEO tactics and sales conversion procedures that optimize our online platform reach and help you accumulate highly active online devotees.”

If the message is still too clear, simply add more jargon until it fits.

Bonus tip! If you’re aiming for entrepreneurs and small business owners with your blog, create a “manifesto” instead of a mission statement. If your product sucks, try explaining that it is still a really good cause.

What does this all mean? I don’t know, but neither does anyone else, so you’re good to go.

Step 3.

Buy cool glasses. Glasses make the guru.

Step 4.

If you have written 2-3 blog posts, or you have been blogging for a week (whichever comes first) it is time to start thinking about monetization. Here are can’t miss ways to blog your way to #financial #freedom.

1) Create a PDF eBook.

Even though PDF is an outdated format that doesn’t adjust to (mobile) screens, it’s still the perfect way for Superstar Bloggers to charge over-the-top sums. Price it between 37 – 97 dollars. It doesn’t matter as long as it ends with a 7. Why? Don’t question, just do it.

2) Add more stuff.
When your PDF guide sells at least three copies, you are now known as a “best-selling author” and are well-positioned to do consulting and a stint on the speaking circuit. Congratulations. In just two weeks, you have hit the level of EXPERT!

3) Members ahoy!

Once you’re an EXPERT, it’s time to expand your online business. Create a membership site and sell access for $97 (valued at $297).

Create a compelling sales page and ask the influencers in your field to give you amazing testimonials. In fact, just write the testimonial for them! They’ll never check out your product, but if they like you, they might give you a generic compliment like this: “She is amazing! Her guide is a true game changer which will change your business! I even intend to read this book at some point.”

4) Rinse and repeat.

Boom! You’re a blogging, social media rockstar!

I’ve covered a lot of ground here and you may still have some questions. I’ve got you covered:

Frequently asked questions

1) Don’t I need any credentials or at least expertise in my subject matter?
No, that’s the beauty of the blogging strategy. Unlike a doctor or lawyer, you neither need a degree nor do you need to know what you’re doing. For all I know, your dog could be a social media expert. But don’t tell him that, he might end up as your competitor!

2) I don’t have any experience, and I don’t want to lie. What should I do?
You worry too much. Here’s how to become an expert in a jiffy:

Create a Facebook page for your mom. This is how it shows up in your bio: “I’m helping small business owners implement social media strategies.”

Ask your friend to buy one of your eBooks for a dollar. You can then claim that you’re making money online! You can even give the dollar BACK!

Help a friend with 1 Twitter follower reach 3. You can then say: Increased client’s Twitter fanbase by 300% !

Remember – don’t lie online! It’s all about being authentic.

3) Isn’t this really just about making money by teaching others how to make money online?

Isn’t life really about dying? Isn’t standing really just sitting on your feet?

In conclusion, being a pro-blogging social media superstar seems daunting, but I just showed you that you too can be a guru. And if you’re running out of topics, just read more Seth Godin. If you waver from the formula and accidently create something original, keep a copy of this blog post nearby for safe keeping so you can get back on track.

No need to thank me.

Mars Dorian describes himself as a creative marketeer with a moon-melting passion for human potential and technology. You can follow his adventures at www.marsdorian.com/

I’ve been thinking about the surprisingly important role that business case studies play in our marketing efforts, and I’ve come to realize that in some cases, they may actually HURT our businesses. Let’s look at the two-edged sword that is the business case study …

The tipping point

First, let’s examine why case studies usually play such a helpful role in the evolution of digital business.

Case studies strike fear in the hearts of resistant business leaders. By embarrassing them with the obvious success of others, we sell fear in the morning and redemption in the afternoon … and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Case studies give us something to shoot for. They teach us the best practices based on the lessons learned by others. But there is another less-known and important role, especially when it comes to technology adoption — they may actually propel an industry forward. Let me give you an example of what I mean.

There has been a tremendous amount of buzz about using social media to improve the supply chain (demand sensing, process monitoring, and collaboration). On paper it makes sense and McKinsey even did a study indicating that there might be billions in productivity savings available through this innovation. There are no fewer than five LinkedIn groups dedicated to this issue and it is a frequent conversation topic at conferences.

And yet after months of digging, I cannot find one meaningful case study indicating a tangible success story in this space! Lots of buzz, no beef.

I wonder, if this is such a hot topic, why isn’t there any evidence that people are actually doing it?

Where’s the beef?

Here is my theory — one reason the “social supply chain” is flagging is that there is still no iconic case study that companies can rally around. There is no tangible proof to demonstrate the value of this initiative and motivate a company to move ahead. There is no fear of being left behind to get things moving.

This is how change accelerated on the marketing side, right? Nothing really happened in this space until we started hearing about the social media successes of Zappos, Whole Foods, and Dell. These breath-taking case studies established proof that it could and should be done. They instilled a sense of fear and urgency in companies that made them take action.

So, we see that when a new technology is introduced, the well-publicized success of others can create a movement. On the supply chain side, that has not happened yet, but I am convinced that it will.

The dangerous side of case studies

But case studies also present two distinct dangers to business progress — 1) unrealistic expectations and 2) creating a false reality.

Unrealistic expectations — Let’s put something out on the table. Your company probably can’t be Zappos. That company has a unique business culture that allows it to propel cutting-edge social media ideas. It is intoxicating to think that if they can do it, we can do it … but in fact, you probably can’t. The very important and complex impact of business cultural is going to affect your success more than your hopes and dreams. If your company is boring, buttoned-up, and conservative, that is probably how your social media presence is going to show up too.

Case studies provide thrilling views of social media nirvana that may not be realistic for most companies. Your own social media personality will emerge based on a mix of unique talents, resources, and strategies.

The false reality — In our information-dense world, there is a tendency to paint the reality of the world in one color based on just a few data points … maybe even one data point. We’re just too busy to look deeper for meaning and truth.

One example of this is QR codes, a technology I characterized in 2011 as our generation’s 8-track tape. When QR codes first came on the scene, people were barking about this revolutionary marketing media. Why? One big reason was the many case studies coming out of Japan. They’re everywhere there. So, many people assumed the same thing would happen in America and Europe. In fact, since I wrote that article more than two years ago, I can count on one hand the number of truly interesting QR code applications I have seen.

We can’t paint the whole world with case studies because they worked in one single place. A corollary of this is the executive who says an idea will never work because his wife doesn’t like it. His wife has become the case study and he has painted the whole world with it. Yes, this happens too!

Any way, I hope you have enjoyed a different take on the value of case studies and I look forward to hearing about your experiences in the comment section. Join in, won’t you?

I’m going to take a break from the usual stream of marketing tips, tricks, and observations here on {grow} to get a little personal and weird. I think that is good once in a while, right?

This week I have been forced to come face-to-face with the end of my analog life … and it is distressing.

I am preparing to make a house move. And, in fact, with the kids out of the house, it’s time to downsize. That means there is no more room for a lifetime of accumulated crap.

As I write this, I am facing a mountain of my “analog” treasures — record albums, CDs. yearbooks, books, boxes of photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, work samples of magazines I edited decades ago. Boxes and boxes and boxes.

And I have had two revelations.

1) It all must go.

2) I really don’t want it to go.

Even after giving away what I can, I have already filled two garbage bins with my treasures. And with each toss, a little piece of me dies. Yes, I am sad that I have entered a phase of my life dedicated to removing, rather than accumulating. But there is something much deeper going on here.

First, I am realizing that I am the final generation that will ever face this problem. I am part of a near-extinct species who has an extensive paper record of our lives. Is that a bad thing? I don’t know. Judging by the garbage bin, I have killed a lot of trees in my life. But there is something more visual, more human … and more cool … about these big photo albums, ticket stubs, and hand-written letters from old girlfriends. For people growing up today, all of these things will be relegated to a file on a smart phone or an upload to “the cloud.” Our tactile days are coming to an end.

Second, I’m sad because I’m realizing that nobody really knows, or cares about any of this. Here’s this mountain of … stuff. At some point in my life every single scrap was important and amazing in some way. And when I toss it in the trash, the world will be exactly the same. My pile, my memories, my life … gone in a poof. My babies, my pets, my friends, my loves, my bands, my jobs, my cars, my homes, my awards, my travels. Poof.

I’m sure these are feelings experienced to some extent by anyone who reaches this life stage. Hey, I’m lucky I made it this far!

But there is still something chilling and profound about being the last of my kind who will ever have to throw his life away forever … piece by lovely, tattered, beautiful piece.

By the way, after reading today’s post, one of my Twitter followers sent me this advertisement. Seems to capture the sentiment in a perfect, and hilarious way!

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You’re in marketing for one reason: Grow.
Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here.
-Mark Schaefer